Lawn mower



May 20, 1930. c. A. OLSON 1,759,4 l4

I LAWN MOWER Filed Feb. 18, 1928 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 20, 1930. c A, OLSON 1,759,414

LAWN MOWER Filed Feb. 18, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Qwmntoc Z 4s Emu. All 1.51:1?

Patented May 20, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT 'o FF 1c1= --[Y 0431. A. OLSON, GLARINDA, IOWA, ASSIGN'OR '10 :CLARINDA mmmcwa COMPANY, or CLARINDA, IOWA, A oonronnmron' oFIowA ,LAW MOWER Application'fil ed February 18, 1928. Serial No. 255,301.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a lawn mower that is economical in manufacture and eflicient in use.

A still further objectlisto provide a man- 'ually operated lawn mower having a handle so secured and positioned on its frame that the tendency of the mower to kick up is el1m1- hated, or infother words, eliminating the tendency of the reel driving pinions from climbing the traction wheel gears when heavy or tall grass is" encountered," as is the-case withall hand mowers now on the market.

A still further object of. this invention'is to'provide a lawnmower, having reel bearings that may easily and quickly be adjusted when assembling the: machine or to compensate for wear of the bearings by use.-

A still further object of my invention is to provide a lawn mower that is easily assembled or dissembled a minimum amount of tools. v

A further object of the inventlon is to -provide an improved construction for mounthandle being broken away to economize space. V

Fig. 2 is an end sectional'view of the same lawn mower taken on'line 2 2'0f Fig; 1 and more fully illustrates its construction."-

' Fig. 3 is a side sectional -viewtaken on line 33 of-Fig. 2 and illustrates the manner in whichpthe' space between the'two side frames of the :machine maybe varied;

Fig. 4 is a plan sectional view taken on line 4-4-of Fig. 2 and illustrates themethod of securing the handle fork to the machine; 7 Fig. 5 is a side sectional vi'ew taken oniline 3O155 of Fig. 2Iand illustrates more fu1ly,-t he wheel removed.

accompanying drawings,

construction of the bearing member for the 7 reel shaft.

Fig. 6 is an inner face view of a portion of one of the traction wheels.v v

Fig. 7 is an outer face'view of a portion. of one of the side :frameswith the traction Fig. 8fis a diametrical sectionthrough one of the side frames and tractioniwheels and illustrating particularly the method of co mounting the wheel on'thezfr'ame.

' Fig. 9 is a cross-section on the line 99 of The lawn mower constructed in accordance with my present invention embodies'twoparallel side frames or castings, which I have, I

designated by the numerals 10 and 11. These sideframes are rigidly held and adjustably spaced apart by the two rods'12 and 13, each having one of its ends entering a boss 14 or 15 respectively in the side frame 10 and its opposite end-entering a'boss 16 or 17 respectively in the side frame 11. Each of these rods is. secured in its respective boss byja set screw 18, threaded into each bossyas shown 75.

in Fig. 1. By. this construction, it will readily be noted. that the distance between the two side frames may be varied by the loosening of the set screws 18 and the sliding of the two side members on the rods 12 and 18. Ho-- ta-tablymounted at a point near the center of each of these sideframes is a traction wheel, which wheels I have designated by the numerals 19 and 20. Integrally formed in each side frame, to the rear and slightly below the point where the traction wheels are rotatably' mounted, is a bearing member 21; Loosely mounted ineach bearing member is a ball embracing cup member 22 having its bottom sloping outwardly, as shown in Fig. 5, andengaging the inwardly extending peripheral flange 21? integrally formed on the inner wall of the-bearing member 21. Passing through each of these'cup members-is the reel shaft 23, carrying the ordinary reel 24 whichfcooran' ates with the cutting knife 25 in the {common and well known manner. Permanently secured on and'near'eachend ofjthe shaft 23 and'extending into the adjacentcup member,

is a ball bearing cone-shaped bearing memcone bearin ber 26. The'numeral 27 designates the ball bearings between each cup member 22 and 26. To tighten the bearings when' assem ling the machine or adjusting the bearingsto take up for natural wear by long usagait ismerely necessaryto: place: the

mower onend, bear down on the upper side frame and then tighten the set screws- 18. This bearing adjustment willalways be unif-form", as'the bottomsof thecup 'members 22 V extend outwardly and the bearing'members The numeral 291 designates. a cover plate partiallyinclosing the outer end of each ofthe= 26 are each cone-shaped and approximately parallel with the said bottoms. Securedto each end of the shaft-23. anddnengagement with a tractionwheel 19 or 20, is a pinion 28.

bearimgmembers 2lian'd'held in placeiby the adjustedbythe bolts 31;: i 1 a above the bearing member 21,:is K an car 33 having an inwardly extending lug 34. The

' numeral .85 designates a small projection inof the projection 35, each of the'members 36 and=37fwhen being-fplaeed in a normal "position'mustibe inserted'atan angleias 'shownby the" dotted lines in Fig. 4'. Oncethe-mem bers 36 and-37 arein normal position; they may be secured. to the, ordinary 'handle 3 8j by the bolts 39. To remove the handle assembly from the lawn mower, it-'is necessary to first remove thebolts 39-.- By thisarrangement of securing and positioning the handleiassembl-y to 'the'machin'e, thehandle cannot only be V easily; disassembled for-packing, .shipment'or storage, but the force'when ."operating the 11 p I Y the Contact of said linember iwith' the interior machine-will bexso' directed thatfther'e will be I ffno-tendencyforithe'pinions-28to climb the,

traction Wheel gears and kick the machine up "fromthe rear; 'aszis now experienced by lawn Q mower operators.-

ticularly themethod of mounting. the traction" f InFigs: 6 th il -inclusive, I haveshownpa'rwheels on the side frames to produce an easily assembled,v long lived,' I and etfinient': bearing means* for'igthe wheels; Each? ofth'eside frames such asE11,is formed-with anannu'lar' .fia'n'gei orarim 40v projecting (laterally from its outer fa'ce.- The rim leflis'c'ut awayatits rear sideto pr0videispa1ce= ior' thei bearing'member Y 7 and topermit' thelpinion 28stoiproj'ect into contact :witlil othe internal gear-4'1 of thet'adj scent traetion wheel such as 20, wherebythe' reel shaft 23' isudriven-w as the-.emowercisvadscrew30. The-cuttingknifei25 may beeasily tegrallya formed on: each of 'the'side =frames and parallel with the ear 33 onthat side fra me. The forkportion ofith'e handle consists of two metal bars-36 an d 37,' each designed toembraceone-o-f the lugs-'34; Because v p will remain efficient and satisfactory overa vanced, in a common-manner. Formed on .within. a bearing member 42 for rotary movement relative thereto. a The axle member .43

projects slightly beyondithe'inner end ofthe bearing member '42. An axle bolt 44 is mounted through thetubular axle member 43 with its-head against the outer face of the traction wheeland with .its threaded end proi jecting beyond the inner end of said axlemem- 'ber. Mountedon'thethreaded end of the bolt I 4418a cap washer 45-which contacts with and closes the innerend of the tubular-axle mom 43 and is slightlyspaced' from the inner end ofthe bearing-member 42. 'A'nutl46 is mounted-0n thethreaded end of the bolt '44 and serves'to holdthe parts in ass'emble'd relation. Thecap-washer45isformed-onits inner face with a polygonal boss 47which'fits within a polygonal recess=48 of the inner-end .ofthe tubular axle 43; This-'servesto center the' cap washer45 and it' in turn centers the axle bolt 44. It isevidentth at' I haveprovided'a simple and economical method of mounting the traction wheels on the 7 side: frames of the mower and a" method by which ample and efficient' bearing is provided i for eaeh'of' the' wheels to cause saidjwheels to runsmooth and tru'egalso' a bearing: which long period of use.

Toiprovide means-for lubricating thetraction" Wheels; agroove 49 is cast at theedge ofithe hole, through which ith'e axle bolt4'4 extends; The groove 49 extends beyond the head 7 of therbolt44=and provides an oilfhole leading from: the outer face of the wheel; such as 20,. (Fig. 8) to thefinterior of the hollow axle member43; A hole 50 "isalso formed transversely through P the 5 walk of the axle:

member 43 to permit:lubricant to pass from tl'IGZlIItGIlOI of *said member: and tolubrieate with lubricant. or: 'may be'isupplied; with oil through. the groove 49 from time to time and which has sufiicient' capacity to provide adequate lubricationforthebearingiofthe wheel.

By castingthegroove49 at:the edge-'ofjthe 1 bolt-hole in the wheel,"the operation offdrill 'ing'a separateoillfole' is dispensed with. t Itwill'also beinoticed' from'Figq 8that the wheel- .20 is formedwith a1 peripheral "flange 51 extending around the Y outer ends. of the teeth oflthe'internaligear 41Tan dithat therim V 40 ot/the frame member projects past said flange 51; also thatthe'rim 4Ois formed at its V inn'e'r ma rgin with a l Eperipheral "flange: 52 I projecting toward the rim of the wheel and past the inner ends of the teeth of said internal gear. This structure provides a substantial inclosure for the internal gear, which prevents the access of dirt and other foreign substances thereto.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement ofmy improved lawn mower without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim:

1. In a lawn mower, a pair 'of side frames, a means for holding said side frames spaced apart and parallel with each other, a reel shaft journaled in said'frames, each of said frames being formedwith a substantially annular flange, a wheel mounted adjacent each side frame and formed with an internal gear embracing its flange, pinions on said reel shaft meshing with the internal gears of said wheels, and a handle member secured to said frames, the points of connection of said handle member to the frames being located outside of the annular flanges thereof and above said reel shaft, whereby force applied to the handle will exert a downward pressure on the rear portions of the side frames to reduce the tendency of said pinions to travel upwardly on said internal gears.

2. Ina lawn mower, a pair of side frames having'their main portions circular in outline, a means for rigidly holding said side frames in spaced parallel relation one with the other, a traction wheel rotatably mounted on and concentrically of each of said side frames, a reel shaft rotatably mounted in said side .frames and operatively connected with said traction wheels, a reelv on said shaft,

an ear integrally formed'on each of said,

side frames and projecting outside of and beyond the circumference thereof and rearwardly of the axis of rotation of said wheels, a lug formed on each of said ears, and a handle member pivotally mounted on said lugs rearwardly and outside of the circumference .of said circular side frames, whereby the tendencyof the frames'to tip forwardly when pressure is applied to the handle member is reduced.

3. In a lawn mower, a side frame formed with a bearing open at both ends, a traction wheel having a part engaging one end of said bearing and formed witha tubularaxle member rotatably received within said bearing, a cap washer mounted against the free end of said tubular axle member and adapted to engage the adjacent end of the bearing,

' and an axle bolt extending through said tubular axle member and through said cap washer and serving to hold the parts in assembled relation.

4:- In a lawn mower, a side frame formed 7 with a bearing, a traction wheel formed with a tubular axle member rotatably received within said bearing, a cap washer mounted at the free end of said tubular axle member, and an axle bolt extending through said tubular axle member and through said cap washer and serving to hold theparts F in assembled relation, said cap washer bemg formed on its inner face with a polygonal boss fitting within a polygonal recess in the end of said axle member 5. In a lawn mower, a side frame formed with a bearing, a traction wheel having a part engaging one end of said bearing and formed with a tubular axle member serving as a reservoir for lubricant and rotatably received within said bearing, a cap washer.

mounted against the free end of said axle member, and an axle bolt extending through said tubular axle member and through said cap washer for holding the parts together, means permitting the introduction of lubricant to the interior of said tubular axle member, and a port through said axle member for the passage of lubricant from the interior to the exterior thereof to lubricate its bearing as the wheel rotates.

6. In lawn mower, a frame member, a pivot stud projecting laterally therefrom,

a handle iron formed with an aperture to receive said stud, and a projection spaced from the base portion of the frame member said stud, the outer end of said projection I being spaced from the stud to permitthe.

handle iron to be moved into and out of pivotal engagement with the stud by asubstantially arcuate movement, and whereby the projection prevents removal of the handle iron from the stud by bodily movement axis of the stud.

in a direction substantially parallel to the CARL A. oLsoNg 1 

